Earth drill



D. RICHARDS April 8, 1947.

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D. mcHARDs 2,418,601 A EARTH DRILL Filed Jan. 19,' 1944 18 Sheets-Sheet 7 April 1947. D. RICHARDS 2,418,50

EARTH DRILL Filed Jan. 1.9. 1944- 18 Sheets-Shee. 8

April 8 1947- i D. RICHARDS 2,418,601

EARTH DRILL Filed Jan. 19, 1944 18 Sheets-Sheet 9 April 8, 194'?. D. RICHARDS 2,418,601

EARTH DRILL Filed Jan. 19,l 1944 18 Sheets-Sheet kl0 April 8, 1947. D. RICHARD l2,418,601

EARTH DRILL Filed Jan. 19, 1944 18 Sheets-Sheet l1 Aprila, 1947.

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D. RICHARDS EARTH DRILL April s, 1947.

Filed Jan. 19, 1944 18 Sheets-Sheet ,17

April 8, 1947. D. RxcHARbs 2,418,601

EARTH DRILL Filed Jan. ,1.9, 1944 18 Sheets-Sheet 18 Patented pr. 8, 1947 UNITED EARTH DRILL Dwight Richards, Harvey, Ill.,gassignor to The `Buda Company, Harvey, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application January 19, 1944, Serial lim-518,845

(Cl. Z55-19) 9 Claims.

-My invention relates to earth drills and more particularly to a portable earth drill adapted to dig `holes for telephone and `telegraph posts,

building supports and other generalpurposes.

An object of my inventionis to provide a new and improved earth drill constructed as a Vehicle which can be either towed as a trailer vor operated under its ownpower.

Another object of my invention is to provide la new and .improved earth drill of the portable ftypawnich ismore compact and easier and safer to operate than the earth drills of the prior art.

`Another object of my invention is `to provide an earth drill'oi the vehicular type having a new and-improvedmechanism for raising or-lowering lthe front wheels ofthe vehicle.

Another object of Amy invention is to provide `an earth drill ofthe vehicular type having a new the same.

Another object of my invention is to provide arrearth drill having simplified andmore accessible control means.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent as the description proceeds.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an earth drill embodying a preferred form of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a top lplan view of the earth drill shown in Fig. 1;

Fig,` 3 is an enlarged side elevation of the earth drill of Fig. 1 showing the tower inlowered position;

Fig.` 4 is an enlarged perspective viewiof Vthe forward part of the earth drill also showing .the tower in lowered position. Inthis gure the front wheels have been omitted.

Fig. is a sectional view taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4 and showing the operating mechanism for raising and lowering the front wheels;

Fig; 6 isa vertical, sectional View taken on the Vline 6 6 of Fig. 5;

the linef t-S `of Fig. 6;

Fig-.9 is a partial, irregular, vertical section taken on the line 9-9 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 10 is a partial, vertical section `taken on he line lil-Hl of Fig. 5;

Fig. 11 is a transverse, vertical section taken on the line I l--Il `of Fig. `3, showing part of the driving mechanism for the auger;

Fig. 12 is an .enlarged View showing' `the adjusting means for the driving chain of Fig. 1l;

Fig. 13 is' an irregular Vsection taken on the line l3-l3 of Fig. 11;

ig. 14 is a partial` section taken-oni the line Ill-I4 ofFig. 12;

Fig. 15 is a partial, longitudinal sectionwtaken on the line l-l of Fig. 2;

Fig. 16.is a view of a detail and is taken looking .in theidirection of the arrows -i6-l6 of Fig. 15p;

Fig. 17 is a partial, ,longitudinal `section taken 4on `the line Il-ll of Fig. 2;

' theA line 22--22 of Fig. l showing 4part. ofthe control mechanism for the auger;

Fig..23 is apartial, sectional View showing a detail of the manual feed for lowering the auger and is taken on the line `23-23 of Fig.v 2;

VFig. 24 is a side view Vshowing this tower in elevated position; Y

Fig. 25 is a rear view showing the towerin elevated position;

l Fig. 26 is an enlarged View similar to Fig. 25, but showing parts cutaway to illustrate various details of construction;

Figj 27 vis. an irregular, sectional View `taken on the line 21--21 of Fig. 26;

Fig. Y28 is a `sectional viewtaken on the line 2S- 28 of Fig. 27;

Fig. 29 is-a view showing a balancing mechanism for the tower;

Fig. 30 is an enlarged view of the lefthand end of Fig. 29; and

Fig. 31 is a sectional view taken yon the line 3 |3| of Fig. 29 showing a `constructional detail.

I` have illustrateda preferred form of my invention as including, ingeneral, a frame 50 mounted on front and rear wheels 52 and 54, respectively. The frame 55 includes longitudinal channel members 56 which, at their rear ends, are mounted on springs 58 carried by the rear axle 6|). The forward ends of the channel members 56 are telescoped about the rear end of a rectangular housing 52, as best shown in Figs. 6 and 7. This housing 62 is mounted on the front wheels 52 in Va manner which I shall presently describe. A tongue 6d projects forwardly from the housing 52 and forms a convenient means for attaching my novel earth drill to .a tractor vehicle, which also forms a support for the forward end of the earth drill when the latter is being towed as a trailer.

Referring particularly to Fig. 5, it will be seen that the housing 52 provides bearings 66 and 58 for a rotatable sleeve lll in which a hollow post 12 is slidably mounted. A spline 'Ul prevents relative rotation between the sleeve 1|) and post T2. The lower end of the post 'l2 is attached to the stub axles T6 on which the front wheels 52 are mounted. It will be noted that the stub axles 'I6 are inclined with respect to each other togive the wheels 52 inclination with respect to thev vertical which facilitates steering of the earth drill when it is moved from place to place as a separate vehicle under its own power.

`The upper end of the post 12 is rotatable in a lbearing i8 provided by a crosshead 8|) attached to `both ends of each of a pair of chains 82. Each of these chains passes over a lower sprocket 84 and an upper sprocket 86 and by rotating the lower sprockets 84 the post I2 and Wheels 52 may be raised or lowered as desired. In Fig. these wheels are shown in a raised position, whereas in Fig. l they are shown in the lowered position.

95V on a shaft 98'supported in bearings |00 carried byy uprights 92. A relatively large gear |02 is keyed to the shaft 93 and meshes with a small gear |54 keyed to a shaft |06 mounted in bearings |08 `carried by uprights 92. The shaft |06 and gear lll are rotated by a hand crank HG which drives the sprockets 843 through two sets of reduction gears to raise or lower the wheels 52.` A ratchet wheel ||2 is keyed to the shaft |56 and is adapted to be engaged by either end of a Vdouble ended pawl ||4 keyed to a shaft VIl'o mounted inbearings H8 carried by uprights 92. When it is desired to hold the wheels 5l in elervated position, one end of the pawl 4 is brought into engagement with the ratchetHZ, Whereas when it is desired to lock these wheels in lowered position, the other end of pawl ||4 is brought into engagement with ratchet wheel I2. When it is desired to raise or lower the front wheels, the pawl H4 is moved to the neutral position shown in Fig. 10, The pawl ||4 is shifted by a handle |25) attached to one' end of the shaft ||6 andthe pawl is held in any of its three positions by a detent shown in Fig. 10` as comprising a ball |22 urged by a spring |24 into engagement with any of the three depressions |25 formed in the shaft H5. The ball |22 and spring |24 are carried in a housing |28 attached to one ofv the uprights 92.

LI preferably provide means for adjusting the tension of the chains 82 and Ishall'now describe the means for taking up the slack in these chains.-

rihe -sprockets S5 are rotatably mounted on a stationary shaft ISB passing through openings formed in the free ends of links |32 pivotally mounted on a pin i3d carried in the upper ends of uprights 52 and provided with spacing sleeves |35 and |38. The shaft |34@ is journaled in blocks adjustably mounted on the upper ends of threaded rods ler and secured in adjusted position by lock nuts I and Hit. The lower ends of the rods |552 are provided with eyes pivotally mounted on pins |68 attached to uprights 92 and carrying spacing sleeves |55. A spacing sleeve i5| is also preferably located between the sprockets at.

The gears for raising and lowering the front wheels are preferably enclosed in a casting |52 which protects them against rain and dirt. By enclosing these gears, an operator is protected against injury by getting his clothing caught therein. When the front wheels are lowered the vehicle may be steered by a steeringv wheel |54 attached to a steering rod |56 having a universal connection |58 with a worm shaft |55. The worm shaft |69 carries a worm |52 which meshes with a worm wheel ltd affixed to the sleeve 'i so that rotating the steering wheel sleeve, post l2 and the front wheels mounted on the axle i6 attached to the lower end of this post. l

In general, my earth drill is towed as a trailer to the site where it is to be used and thereafter is usually disconnected from the tractor vehicle and moved from one position to Aanother under its own power. Care, of course, must be taken to lower the front wheels 52- before the earth drill is detached from the tractor Vehicle. I shall now describe the mechanism for operating the earth drill as an independent vehicle under its own power.

The frame 5t supports an internal combustion engine i'ill which may be of any suitable type and is started and stopped by the usual controls mounted on an instrument panel This engine drives a multi-speed transmission |72 through the usual clutch which is controlled by a conventional clutch pedal llll located in convenient juxtaposition to a drivers seat |16.

, The transmission |12 is provided with the usual gear shift lever V8. The vehicle is preferably provided with a conventional mechanical emergency brake which is controlled by the emergency brake lever |36. I preferably provide each rear wheel with a separate and independent electric brake.

The electric brake on the right wheel is controlled by a brake pedal |82 and the electric brake on the left rear wheel is controlled by a separate pedal |84. When it is desired to make a particularly short turn, the rear wheel on the inside of the turn may be braked, whereas the outer rear wheel can rotate freely. The earth drill is provided with an electrical system and battery of any type commonly used on automotive vehicles and when the earth drill is operated as an independent vehicle, the electric brakes are connected to this battery. The electric brakes are preferably provided with a switch for disconnecting them from this battery and connecting them to a cable from a tractor vehicle, so that when the earth drill is used as a trailer attachedto atractor vehicle having electric i brakes, the electric brakes of the earth drill can |54 rotates thisA 

